Sir Robin honoured for sailing legends “walk of fame”

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston has had his handprints cast for a sailing “walk of fame” in the French maritime city of Brest during the Race 1 stopover.

During Thursday evening’s Race 1 prize giving at the Town Hall, Sir Robin was invited to become part of Brest’s “Walk of Record Breakers” which will open later in 2013 and will feature the handprints of France’s most famous circumnavigators.

Sir Robin is a much celebrated figure in the city after he won the Trophee Jules Verne in 1994 with the late Sir Peter Blake and has attended the famous maritime festival several times with his yachtSuhaili.

Sir Robin said: “I am honoured and privileged to join the other navigators because they are all my good friends and we have a long history competing against each other in various events.

“I came to Brest for the first time in 1982 and their maritime festival is one of the best in Europe, if not the best. The Walk of Records is a great idea for the famous maritime city to honour all its celebrated sailors.”

One of Sir Robin’s greatest competitors, Frenchman Olivier de Kersauson, was the first sailor to cast his hands in 2012. Since then, Bernard Stamm, Loïck Peyron, Florence Arthaud, Franck Cammas, Thomas Coville, Eric Defert, Francois Joyon, Phillipe Monnet, Marc Pajot and Jean-Luc Van Den Heede have also had theirs cast.

Bronze plaques will be installed on Quai Eric Tabarly by the Port du Château at the end of the year.

At last night’s prize giving, Jean-Claude Lardic, Vice President of Brest Evenements Nautiques and Clipper Race Director Justin Taylor presented the top three Race 1 teams with their pennants.

Rich Gould and Invest Africa won the top podium place with GREAT Britain skipper Simon Talbot and his crew second and Gareth Glover and Qingdao in third place.

The crews then tucked into local Brittany produce such as cider and oysters during the reception.